ModelU

[Andy Lowman]

Hi, can anyone answer the following (and I'm sure they can :))? Do Modelu narrow gauge 00 figures fit nicely (without major surgery to themselves) into the closed and open cabs of Bachmann DF, Baldwin, Mainline and Quarry Hunslet's? If not then what other options might there be? Thanks

[Graeme Dunbar]

They make crew to suit specific locomotives so if the loco you are interested in is listed it should be a good fit, to the extent that if the figure is posed holding onto the regulator or leaning on the cab window for example it should match up well.

[Andy Lowman]

Many thanks Graeme, as usual a useful and informative answer from you.

[JulienW]

I've fitted ModelU figures as follows:

Bachmann Ffestiniog double Fairlie. These were the 'specific' figures and fitted well, though you may need to modify the inner 'fold round part of Bachmann's plastic packing if keeping the loco in its original box.

Bachmann 'mainline' Hunslet, Penrhyn version. Again these were the 'specific' figures and whilst they went in it was a bit of a faff to fit them in, and the driver with his hand on the regulator didn't quite stand on the floor of the cab - though that might be down to me not getting it quite right rather that the figure being 'wrong'.

Bachmann WD Baldwin. I used the WW1 figures for this rather than civilian crew. They were a tight fit & I have a feeling one lost his head in the process but this was easily reattached with superglue.  But this may have been down to his steel helmet.

One thing to mention though is that I have heard anecdotal stories that fitting crew figures invalidates the Bachmann guarantee, so make sure you have tested the loco before fitting the crew, and whatever you use to stick them in with make sure that it's not too difficult to remove so that you can get the crew out and clean up any adhesive residues before sending the loco back.

[Andy Lowman]

Many thanks Julien, a most comprehensive reply. Good point on the adhesive to fit them in, I may try a 'tacky' glue first, this is easily removed but may not have the adhesive muscle needed, I'll see.

[JulienW]

You could try 'Tacky Wax' (widely available not just from the makers) initially.

For a more long term hold I've used Paraloid B72 - a resin dissolved in acetone - as it can be easily 'unstuck' with a brush loaded with acetone, but that may work very well as a paint stripper. An alternative is Paraloid B67 which does the same job but being dissolved in white spirit is a bit kinder to paint and also the plastic the model is made from. The bigger problem is that they are not so easy to get hold of (start with a google search and go from there).

PVA might work, but be careful as it releases small amounts of acid as it cures and this can cause issues with the internal electronics in the loco if the curing process occurs in an enclosed box.

(Edited for spelling mistake)

[Andy Lowman]

Thanks again Julien